iPolitics webcast: Red Tape Reducing the regulatory burden

On Tuesday, March 6 at 10:30 am iPolitics convened the sixth in our series of webcast panel discussions of public policy challenges. The topic this session was “Red Tape – Reducing the regulatory burden”.

Panelists delved into the complex issue of government regulations: how if affects small and medium businesses owners, the cost of red tape to society, and reactions to the Recommendations Report published recently by the Red Tape Reduction Commission. Viewers can watch the discussion above in archived form. No registration is required.

Introduction

Finding the right balance between business efficiency and government regulation is not an easy solution. The latest examination of regulatory burden by The Red Tape Reduction Commission, established in January 2011, incorporated business stakeholders and consultations to help identify where improvements could be made to the Canadian regulatory system. In January 2012 the Commission published its findings and found many regulations have hindered business growth and competition. The Report suggested making long-term and sustainable changes, but what exactly needs to be done?

Some of the questions explored by our panel included:

How do government regulations burden/affect Canadian business operations?

What does red tape mean for small to medium size companies in particular, and what are the greatest challenges when trying to start or grow a business?

Did the Red Tape Reduction Commission adequately address the issues in the final report? Do the Commission’s recommendations go far enough? Were there enough opportunities for all stakeholders to participate in the consultation process?

How would drawing on the private sector for consultation and collaboration assist the Federal government to improve inefficiencies?

Are there best practices that could be used to improve the government/corporate relationship and if so, where do they exist?

What are the greatest challenges that need to be addressed in 2012? What is the next step forward, and how can we get there?

The guest moderator for this panel was veteran political reporter Elizabeth Thompson. The following panelists participated (click on names to view bios):

Carole Presseault is Vice-President, Government and Regulatory Affairs for the Certified General Accountants Association of Canada, and has been a public affairs professional for more than 25 years.

Corinne Pohlmann is Vice-President, National Affairs for the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB), a not-for-profit organization representing more than 108,000 small and medium-sized business members across Canada.